Industrial looking hanging media shelves

We have a lot of media, and we needed a nice way to display it and make it accessible.  We also wanted something that would fit our design style.  Last criteria, it needed to be something that I can make.  While I am fairly handy, I am no cabinet maker.  This design allows for some slop :)

The main picture below shows eight shelves of six foot board.  This will hold a grand total of about 960 movies.  This is what I will be describing in this instructable.

The second picture is a five foot wide with six staggered shelves version.  While slightly more complicated, it should be easy to figure out after this instructable.

The basic idea is that I would use heavy duty hooks, steel cable, and wood shelves to build it (basically cheaper stuff that I can find at home depot).  The wire would fit into a groove that I cut and I would use a stopper fastener on the wire to keep it in place.

Keep in mind this is just hanging on the wall, and can move, so don't put anything really breakable on it.  Especially with little ones around.

Check out my other industrial shelves for a complete set: Equipment Shelves and TV Ledge

Step 1 Tools and Materials

I have a table saw, but you might be able to get by without one it you have a jig saw or are really accurate with a hand saw (a jig would probably help).  I don't have a drill press which would help, but obviously is not necessary.

Tools:
Pencil
Ruler
Compass
Tape Measure
Miter Saw (This could be replaced with a hand saw easily)
Dowel Kit (If you have a drill press, you don't need this)
Drill
Nice Sharp 3/8" drill bit
3/32" counter sink drill bit (for screw pilot hole drilling)
4" C-Clamps (Or just bar clamps)
Bar Clamps
Table Saw
Palm Sander (I love this sander for how easy it is to install the paper taut)
Sawhorses
Heavy Duty Wire Cutters
Level
Crimper (looks like bolt cutters, but instead of cutting, they crimp)

Materials:
Paper (for design and sketching)
1"x2"x1' Red Oak
1"x6"x6' Pine (with or without knots, up to you, or any other wood for that matter)
Screws of various sizes
150 Grit Sand Paper
Stain
Rags
about 38' of 3/32" steel cable
6 splicing fasteners for the steel cable
48 stopper fasteners for the steel cable
Heavy Duty Steel Hooks
Masking Tape

Comments

[phantom309oo7]

hmmmmmm, that looks like a T-Maxx on the floor.....

[phantom309oo7]

or a Revo... LOL

[craineum]

You are both right... Highly modified Original T-Maxx, a Revo, also a Titan and an Ultra LX Pro (and a Mini T... etc...)

[zwild1]

did you really just laugh out loud?

[Iridium7]

 nah he LQTM. (laughed quietly to himself) more honest.

[monstergramma]

Hmmm...where did you "steal" the cable. LOL

[craineum]

:) Thanks...

[blakelock]

hi all,
great idea to use the slot and sunken hole for the cables and washers.  that's a slick solution.  i'm sure the cables and the hooks in the studs are strong enough.  no problem there.  i think the weak point is the slot and sunken hole cut into the shelves.  i can imagine that small rectangular corner breaking off the shelf if enough load is on it.  it might be better to cut the slot as far away from the edge as possible (or aesthetically acceptable) and cut the slot with the grain of the wood.  then, the intact wood at the corner would go with the grain instead of against it and would be less likely to pop off.
again, sweet design.

[craineum]

That is a good idea.  I mention somewhere in the build that 1/2 was not enough, but I had not thought about cutting the slot with the grain.

Thanks!

[cyclohexane]

 Looks Awesome!!! I've thought about doing something similar but with all-thread instead of cables. Great Instructable!

[Hiroak]

With all thread you could adjust the shelves and use nuts or lock nuts as the stoppers.  Then you could drill a hole in the all thread to attach the cable to hang from the wall or some kind of cap  I think this would be more stable and even swing less.  Good Idea. 

[craineum]

Very true, good ideas.  Would probably try this next time.  Actually if you were to use short pieces of threaded rod and then some kind of extended nut for coupling it would be really easy to pack/put together and add more shelves at a later time.

Love this site!

Thanks guys!

[jdege]

Did you do any strength-of-materials calculations?

DVDs are fairly light.  But once you put a shelf up, people tend to use it for whatever is convenient without thinking about what it was designed for.  Picture these shelves holding paperback books.  With that many shelves hanging from just three anchors, you could be talking about a significant load.

You said, in your instructions, to use "Heavy Duty Steel Hooks".  I'd second that.  This isn't a project where you'd want to skimp on the hardware. 

[craineum]

I did a little.  I know that the cable is about 900lbs break strength (now times this by 6 cables).  The hooks were a couple hundred lbs a piece (Will look this up tonight).  The shelves only have to carry the weight of what is on them.  So really it is up to the stud/top plate you are putting it into.  Which I don't really know what that strength would be?!?  Hope this answers the question.

Again though these shelves are hanging and can swing freely, so anything too heavy would be a bad idea to start with.

[jdege]

A six-foot shelf of paperback books weighs something like 80 pounds.  Six shelves would be 480 pounds.  The cable is easily strong enough.  The hooks might be a bit close, but you're probably fine there, too.  So long as you're screwing into the joists or top plate, and haven't hit a void or a knot.

The essential question is whether they are strong enough to hold whatever people some day trying to put on them.  If they feel flimsy, people won't stack them with heavy books.  In other words, they need to be stronger than they look.

I only ask because I always ask.  Not will they hold what you intend them to hold when you build them, but will they hold what someone else, years later, tries to pile on them?  Will they hold when a five-year-old tries to climb them like a ladder, to get something off the top shelf?  And will they not topple over on him when he does?

I don't have doubts about your construction, I just jumped in because I think that some discussion is warranted.

[craineum]

Discussion is warranted and welcome.  I like it when people make me think, it is the only way to improve.

As I have a 4 and 2 year old, I thought about the climbing issue, especially since they swing (and can be deemed fun).  I feel very confident they would hold a 50lbs 5 year old, not that I am encouraging that or anything ;)

On that subject my son ripped the label off the hooks that I got, so I need to head to Home Depot to check the load for sure.

[lemonie]

Nice shelves, they do look solid.

L